UC Drought Summit convenes on a rainy day in Sacramento

Experts from across University of California campuses today, Friday, will explore with policymakers how to lessen the effects of the California drought, one of the worst on record.

Hosted by UC Davis, the daylong UC Drought Science, Policy and Management Summit in the state Capitol focuses on potential state policy actions for mitigating the economic and environmental costs of the current water shortage and preparing for future ones.

"Helping solve California's resource problems is a central tenet of UC Davis' mission as a land-grant university," said UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi. "We have an obligation to the California public to provide insights and scientific information on managing the state's environmental challenges, be it water shortages or floods, wildfires or earthquakes."

Topics range from agricultural production and employment to energy production and use, fish and wildlife, water conservation, public health and wildfires. The event also includes a review of what university campuses are doing to conserve water.

"The UC Davis summit is yet another example of how our campuses work to improve the lives of people in every part of the state," said UC President Janet Napolitano.

In January, soon after Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought state of emergency, UC Davis reached out to other UC campuses and President Napolitano with the idea of a systemwide water conference.

"In drought conditions, the competition for scarce supplies of water increases, so the need for collaboration and thoughtful discussion is all the more important," said Jay Lund, director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, which organized the event. "This summit provides an opportunity to hear from a wide range of drought researchers on one of California's most urgent problems."

Nearly 300 people are expected to attend the free, public summit, including professionals in California water policy, science and management, as well as agricultural, environmental and industry representatives. Most of the 34 speakers and panelists are from UC campuses in Davis, Berkeley, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego and Santa Cruz. Others include the state climatologist and experts from Stanford University; California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; the Public Policy Institute of California; and the Delta Stewardship Council.

The event is from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the State Capitol, Assembly Committee Room 4202.